Friday, May 20, 2011

Baltic Collagen Face and Neck Gel

Image from balticcollagen.com

If you have written off non-prescription skincare as a waste of money, do yourself a favor and read this post. It's a bit on the long side, but I am so excited I want to share everything I know about this new product line. (I am not affiliated.)

I don't normally write a skincare review until I have used a product for a minimum of 30 days (ideally 60-90 days). But I have to rave about this product, which a friend turned me on to, because this stuff does what it says, and in a very short time.

This newly-release product line is called Baltic Collagen, and it is nothing short of hope in a bottle. From their web site:

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body, forming strong sheets and cables that support the structure of skin, internal organs, cartilage and bones, as well as all the connective tissue in between ... Collagen’s role in the aging process is ... what gives the youthful look of firmness, evened tone, elasticity, and a smooth, unwrinkled surface. Protein structures are what make skin look aged and wrinkled or radiant and youthful.

Collagen on its own is too large a molecule to be absorbed through the skin, and it becomes inert when heated, which is why collagen products don't work. To the rescue come the scientists at Baltic Collagen who have created a transdermal serum with the highest concentration of bio-available collagen on the market (so they say). All of their products are tested by dermatologists and are hypoallergenic. Baltic Collagen is the only available collagen preparation that is 98% pure, bio active, 100% natural, extremely well absorbed, and contains no preservatives.

Since collagen production all but stops at age 25, the primary way to keep skin plump and youthful (besides avoiding sun damage) is addressed by Baltic Collagen:

Prevent further wrinkles from forming

Supplement diminished collagen levels

Stimulate collagen-producing cells into renewed activity

Provide an immediate, intense lifting effect

What makes Baltic Collagen so special is its concentration. Its patented purification process yields a 98% pure collagen product that remains biologically active and stable at room temperatures. This means it stays alive and active in order to biologically meld with our skins' incomplete proteins and give us back the structural support we once had.

Even better, this product is fully guaranteed. They are so confident you will like what you see that if you are unhappy for any reason, simply contact them and they will refund your purchase price. You don't even have to send anything back.

I purchased the Baltic Collagen™ Face and Neck Gel ($55), which is 30ml/1oz.

Image from balticcollagen.com

My package arrived in two days via USPS Priority mail. The product box was tightly wrapped in insulated bubble wrap, and the bottle was ensconced in dense foam. I was pleasantly surprised that the bottle was made of thick, frosted, shatterproof glass. I could not wait to use it and see what happened.

After I applied the gel that night, my face felt tight, as though the gel had created a barrier to seal in moisture. My under eye area felt a bit crinkly (but this feeling went away after a few days of use). After the gel dried, my skin felt so soft and smooth, but I felt like I needed a little added moisture around my eyes, so I applied a couple drops of eye cream.

The next morning, my face felt incredibly smooth, like polished glass. I remained skeptical but hopeful, especially since I had been reading incredibly compelling testimonials. By the third day, I noticed increased firmness, and my facial skin felt plumped up. My coloring had improved, as well. In fact, I was pleased to notice that my skin had taken on a subtle radiance, which I had been artificially reproducing with cosmetic highlighter. A face that gleams without excess oil is something I have not enjoyed in many many years.

Before the first week (yes, week) was over, the skin on my neck was smoother and tighter, and my upper lip looked more full and juicy. Around the same time I began noticing changes to my eyes--the lids were much springier. Oh! And no more walking around the first hour of my day waiting for pillowcase creases to go away! My eyelids and throat had already benefited from daily use of Reviva Labs Firming Eye Serum with Alpha Lipoic Acid, Vitamin C Ester, and DMAE (a cheaper Perricone clone reviewed here), but Baltic Collagen amped it up several notches and much faster.

Perhaps the most surprising result of all was the incidental improvements to the backs of my hands. Every night and morning when I finished applying the gel to my face and neck, I'd wipe off the excess from my fingers onto my hands--primarily to get rid of that sticky feeling serums tend to have--and I was shocked when literally the next day, the skin there looked smoother and more radiant.

There's a hot discussion going on at my forum (call it a group trial), where we are sharing our experiences and talking about suggested use, tips, and tricks. Here's a summary.

Apply to clean skin after rinsing with warm water. The warmth opens the pores and primes the skin for maximum absorption.

Apply to wet skin, not dripping, but more than damp.

Store the bottles below 85 degrees Fahrenheit away from light. The company web site recommends storing in the refrigerator, but many of us have found that the product becomes too treacly and won't come up through the pump when it's that cold. Just store in a cool location (not your steamy, hot medicine cabinet in the bathroom).

If you get results in the eye and lip area using the Face and Neck Gel, there is no need to buy the separate Eye and Lip Serum.

If you use a beta or alpha hydroxy acid on your skin, make sure your skin is well rinsed before you apply the collagen serum. The acids help the skin absorb serums, but they also break down the collagen before it can go to work.

You can still use tretinoin products (e.g., Retin-A) to fight acne or fade melasma, but let Baltic Collagen products sink into your skin until it is fully dry--at least 10 minutes.

It's fine to apply additional moisturizer or eye creams on top of the Baltic Collagen products, as long as the collagen is dry.

Some people like to apply Baltic Collagen, wait 30 minutes, and then rinse it off. They find no added moisturizer is required. I like to leave it on my skin because it imparts a beautiful sheen along the high points of my face. If my skin feels a little tight from a skin formed by the treatment, I'll use a very lightweight moisturizer to smooth over it.

A 30ml bottle of Face and Neck Gel should last for 30 days when used twice per day (if you are using a half gram (0.5 ml) per usage). This is a case where more is not better. Skin can only absorb so much before product buildup accumulates on the skin's surface. It isn't harmful, but the excess product will flake away upon drying, so you'd be wasting product.

Here's a short video from the people at Baltic Collagen:

Bottom line: Heaven sent. Simply stated, this product is amazing. It does what it says, and it has exceeded all my expectations, and quickly! In fact, one little bottle has replaced most of my skincare creams and lotions and serums. If you're under 30, this may or may not give results. The more your skin lacks collagen, the more noticeable the results will be.

The worldwide distributor is in Poland: http://www.balticcollagen.pl/. Baltic Collagen is available from two US-based web sites. Here's the difference between them:

http://www.balticcollagen.com (Georgia/North Carolina) is a licensed, independent distributor. This vendor does not import product from Poland in the hot summer months, so they could run low on inventory between now and Fall. They also honor refunds and have exceptional customer service. The bottle I received was in thermal bubble wrap, and as the weather warms up, they ship product on dry ice to preserve integrity and freshness of the collagen.

http://www.balticcollagen.us (Chicago) is a US distributor. They do NOT accept returns. The bottle I received was sent USPS and was wrapped in a very thin sheet of regular bubble wrap. The consistency of the collagen was much thinner than the product I received from balticcollagen.com, so I suspect it went bad. EDITED: I cannot recommend the Chigago-based site.Order at your own risk.

Photos from Baltic Collagen. Unaffiliated. I purchased my own product.

J, I'd start with the Face and Neck Gel. The collagen in it is specifically targeted to the collagen in our faces, and I got excellent results on my face, neck, eyelid skin, and backs of my hands within days! You could write to them to ask about the red light. I'd recommend contacting the people at the dot com web site (Georgia/NC). Aneta has sent me amazingly detailed responses. http://www.balticcollagen.com/contact-us.html This is the site that has 100% guarantee.

Note that if your skin is still in really great condition (e.g., you avoided tanning like a good girl), you might not get fast, noticeable results, but at least you could slow down collagen breakdown. :)

Okay, so I had to finally check out this review since you have referred back to the BC products so many times. Now you've got me intrigued! Especially since I live in the same city as their distribution center (Marietta, GA). I'm wondering if, given the delicacy of the product, they'd allow me to just swing by and pick up a bottle in person. Although my husband is usually home during the day, he's not the best at hearing someone knocking on the door, and even worse about answering it when he does!

Your description of results from this gel is unbelievable. I don't yet have much sagging, though--just fine lines and a bit of crepiness around the eyes. Do you think it's worth a try anyway, or should I wait until I need more firming action?

I think it works best if you have collagen loss. So puckering, sagging, crepiness ... all seem so respond to that. It never hurts to try. And as for picking it up, I have no idea if they have a retail front, but you could call them. The GA people are wonderful.

I imagine it's already pretty hot in GA, but since last year was their first year selling in US, I think they use dry ice now. Except for the Chicago people, who mailed mine priority mail without any extra padding. The one I got from GA had insulated bubble wrap, but I ordered in early May, before it got too hot.